Mixed- versus strong right-handedness is associated with biases towards "remember" versus "know" judgements in recognition memory: Role of interhemispheric interaction

Abstract

Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that episodic versus semantic memories rely primarily on interhemispheric versus intrahemispheric processing, respectively. For example, a recent study found that individuals with presumed greater interhemispheric interaction were superior in episodic recall but inferior at semantic word fragment completion; however, tests of recognition memory yielded no group differences. Interestingly, recognition memory can be based on either explicitly remembering a stimulus or implicitly knowing that a stimulus had been presented. The current experiments administered recognition memory tests to strongly versus mixed handed participants who judged for each recognised item whether their response was based on remembering (episodic memory) or knowing (semantic memory) (Tulving, 1983). Results indicate that strong versus mixed handers are biased towards basing recognition responses on judgements of knowing versus remembering, respectively. As strong versus mixed handedness is associated with greater versus lesser interhemispheric processing, the results support the original hypothesis.

Eye movements enhance memory for individuals who are strongly right-handed and harm it for individuals who are not

“…Propper and Christman (2004) found no handedness difference in recognition ferentially involved in language processing, with the right maintaining broader, more distant, meanings than the left (Jung-Beeman, 2005). In other words, the right hemisphere may maintain related, but nonpresented, information.…”

Handedness differences in body image distortion and eating disorder symptomatology

“…This cut-off point was chosen because it corresponded to the median handedness score in the sample, a technique that has been used in previous studies from our lab. 18,19,25,26 Only three participants yielded handedness scores of À80 or below. Exploratory analyses indicated that the pattern of results did not change as a function of whether or not the strong left-handers were included in the strong-handed group, and so this small group of strong left-handers was excluded from subsequent analyses.…”

A mixed-handed advantage in episodic memory: A possible role of interhemispheric interaction

“…Recall may be a better measure of explicit / episodic memory than recognition, because recognition memory can be based on two distinct memory processes: explicit "remembering" of old items or implicit, familiaritybased "knowing" that old items had been previously encountered (e.g., Gardiner, 1988). Propper and Christman (2004) reported no difference in overall recognition accuracy between right-and non-right-handed individuals. However, they found a handedness difference in the extent to which recognition responses were based on judgments of implicit "knowing" versus explicit "remembering": Right-and non-right-handers were significantly biased toward "know" and "remember" responses, respectively.…”